When folks think of the Souper Bowl, the Localvore Project generally comes to mind. But, the event is really the culmination of a very generous community, including the Round Barn, the soup makers, and all those who donate food, services, ingredients, and auction items to make the evening magical and unique.
Soup, Salad and Dessert
This year, there will be thirteen soup makers creating delicious potages, chowders, stews, and goulashes for the benefit of local food programs. Chef’s ranging from Jason Gulisano at the Green Cup to Jess Zidovsky at the Warren Store all put their hearts and passion for local ingredients and seasonal eating into their mouth-watering creations.
It’s a rooky year at the ‘Bowl for many of the soup makers, including Saucy, Terra Rossa, and Sugarbush’s Castlerock Pub and Allyn’s Lodge Cabin Cat Dinners. Two special guests making a return appearance are Vermont Secretary of Agriculture, Roger Allbee, and Chef Paul Morris and his Jr. Iron Chef team from Harwood Union High School. Robin McDermott will be mentioning many of the other fabulous restaurant contributions in next week’s Valley Reporter.
The Souper Bowl is generously supported by a myriad of local purveyors and food producers in addition to our dedicated chefs. Vermont Herb and Salad will once again be growing and donating greens for a winter salad, and George Schenk from American Flatbread will provide a special appetizer. Vermont Creamery butter slathered on Manghi’s rolls will accompany the soups. And, a trio of desserts from Leonardo’s Gelateria, Quayl’s Chocolates, and cookies from Suzann Slomin will round out the meal.
Robin has been hard at work concocting a special Localvore cocktail made with donated pure cranberry juice from Vermont Cranberry Company. For those not imbibing, Three Mountain Café and Mint will treat guests to coffee and tea as another beverage option.
Worthy Cause
Being a party with purpose, all the proceeds from Souper Bowl III will benefit our Localvore projects, the Mad River Valley Food Pantry, and Local Food to Local School initiatives. A large part of the money that is raised during the event will come from the Localvore Raffle and Silent Auctions. A variety of unique local food and craft items have been donated this year to sit on the Localvore Raffle table from Vermont Yak meat, to books on sustainable food topics from Chelsea Green, to organic rice and couscous mixes from Roxbury-based Flavors from the Field, and Specialty Cheeses from Von Trapp Farmstead.
We search out interesting, one-of-a-kind items for our bigger-ticket silent auction, featuring dinner at George Schenk’s cabin in the woods; a custom catered Localvore feast for ten at the Knoll farm; a mixed case of Vermont wines; an edible landscape assessment from Whole Systems Design; a home composting or root cellar consultation with Richard Czplinski; and a greenhouse building course from Yestermorrow.
Zero Waste Event
Every year the Souper Bowl has been able to take advantage the Round Barn’s trend-setting compost program, committing all food and compostable bowls for regeneration into nutrient-rich soil. Without an industrial setup, however, some of the harder to compost cups remain unchanged for years in a conventional compost setup. This year, GROW Compost will provide free pick-up and drop-off of their compost collection bins. Once back at their commercial facility, all the waste, including corn-based plastic cups, will be quickly turned into compost for area gardens and farms, making this year’s Souper Bowl a truly waste free event!
ebay Auction
The final two pairs of tickets are up on ebay. The lucky auction winners will walk in the door with two of the hardest tickets to get in the Valley, with a handful of raffle tickets to start off their evening.
